Download a pdf of this page here.

Download the Spanish version here.

Essential Concepts

Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences

• A strong thesis statement clearly presents your main idea by identifying both your topic and specific position. It should be concise, focused, and arguable—narrow enough to explore meaningfully, yet substantial enough to support with reasoning and evidence throughout the essay.
• Thesis statements can be explicit or implied. An explicit thesis clearly states the argument in a sentence, often near the beginning of the text. An implied thesis suggests the main idea through recurring themes and key points without stating it directly.
• A topic sentence is the first sentence of a paragraph that introduces its main idea and connects it to the thesis. While the thesis makes a broad claim, topic sentences narrow that claim and introduce specific evidence or subpoints, helping build the argument step by step. Like thesis statements, topic sentences include both a topic and an angle to give the paragraph clear focus and direction.

Effective Paragraphs

• Well-structured paragraphs support essay clarity and flow. Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea, introduced by a topic sentence that connects back to the thesis. Like mini-essays, paragraphs develop that idea with explanations, examples, or evidence, and may end with a transition. Thoughtful transitions between sentences and paragraphs help guide readers through your argument smoothly and logically.
• Effective arguments use credible evidence and rhetorical appeals. This includes primary sources (like surveys or interviews) and secondary sources (like scholarly articles), presented clearly to support the writer’s ideas. Using a mix of logical reasoning, emotional storytelling, and credibility all help make arguments more compelling.
• Effective introductions and conclusions work together to frame your essay. Introductions should orient the reader, provide context, and lead into a clear thesis, often using a compelling hook like a quote or anecdote. Conclusions reinforce the thesis without repeating it, explain the significance of your argument, and may offer a call to action or suggest further exploration.

Audience Analysis

• Understanding your audience is key to persuasive writing. Consider who your readers are, what they already believe or know, and what biases they might bring. Tailoring your message to your audience increases your chances of being heard and understood.
• Tone and language must match audience expectations. A formal, respectful tone suits academic or professional readers, while casual or judgmental language can alienate them. Whether you’re writing for academics, professionals, or peers, using a tone and language suited to their community helps your message land clearly.
• Academic writing uses clear, formal language and avoids informality. Avoid slang, contractions, and personal pronouns unless permitted. Aim for objective, inclusive, and precise phrasing that shows you are informed and respectful of your reader’s perspective.
• Different audiences require different rhetorical appeals. Use logos (logic), pathos (emotion), and ethos (credibility) in different combinations based on who you’re addressing. Balancing these appeals helps make your argument more effective.
• Consider both intended and unintended audiences. Just like on social media, your writing may reach beyond its target group. Thinking ahead about how others might interpret your words helps prevent miscommunication and builds credibility.

Writing Strong Sentences

• Clear, concise sentences are more effective than overly complex or wordy ones. Eliminate unnecessary phrases, inflated language, and redundancies to improve clarity and keep your reader’s attention. Avoid vague words and overused intensifiers like “very” or “really”; instead, choose specific, descriptive language that precisely conveys your meaning. Be specific about who is doing what to increase clarity and avoid ambiguity in your writing.
• Use active voice whenever possible. Active sentences clarify who is doing what, making your writing more direct, confident, and engaging. Passive voice can be useful in certain academic contexts, but it often weakens writing if overused.
• Vary sentence length and use parallel structure to enhance clarity and flow. Mixing short, medium, and long sentences keeps writing engaging and emphasizes key points. Parallel structure—using the same grammatical pattern for related ideas—adds balance, improves readability, and helps sentences flow more smoothly.
• Formal academic writing requires precise language and tone. Avoid slang, contractions, clichés, and vague pronouns. Aim for objective, respectful, and inclusive communication.
• Revision is key to strong sentence construction. Clarity often improves through rewriting—review your drafts to cut fluff, strengthen verbs, and ensure each sentence expresses one clear idea.

Glossary

active voice

a sentence structure in which the subject clearly performs the action of the verb (e.g., “Amy grabbed the book”), making writing more direct, clear, and confident

audience awareness

the ability to understand and consider your readers’ knowledge, beliefs, and potential biases in order to communicate your message effectively, especially when writing to inform or persuade

conclusion

the final paragraph of an essay that reinforces the main points, rephrases the thesis in a new way, and leaves the reader with a clear understanding of the topic’s importance or potential impact

emotional appeal (pathos)

a persuasive strategy that seeks to influence readers by evoking feelings through personal stories, vivid language, or powerful testimony

ethical appeal (ethos)

a persuasive strategy that relies on the credibility, knowledge, and character of the writer or sources to gain the reader’s trust and strengthen the argument

explicit thesis statement

a clear, direct sentence—usually found in the introduction—that states the main idea or argument of a text and guides the reader through the writer’s purpose

implied thesis statement

a main idea that is not stated directly but suggested through repeated themes, key ideas, and overall content, requiring the reader to infer the writer’s point

introduction

the opening section of an essay that sets the stage for the reader by presenting the topic, context, and purpose of the writing, often previewing what the essay will cover and helping guide the reader through the ideas to come

language

the specific words and style a writer uses to communicate, which should match the audience, purpose, and discourse community to maintain an appropriate tone and be clearly understood

logical appeal (logos)

a persuasive strategy that uses reasoning and evidence—such as facts, statistics, case studies, expert opinions, and logical arguments—to support a claim and appeal to the reader’s sense of logic

parallelism

the practice of using consistent grammatical patterns in words, phrases, or sentences to create balance, improve clarity, and strengthen the flow of writing or speech. parallelism can also include the repetition of words or phrases to emphasize ideas and make language more powerful

passive voice

a sentence structure in which the subject receives the action of the verb (e.g., “The book was grabbed by Amy”), often making writing less direct and sometimes hiding who is doing the action

primary source

an original, firsthand account or direct evidence created by someone who experienced or researched the topic directly—such as interviews, surveys, experiments, historical documents, or personal observations

rhetorical appeals

strategies used in writing or speaking to persuade an audience by appealing to logic (logos), emotion (pathos), or credibility and character (ethos)

secondary source

a source that analyzes, interprets, or summarizes information from primary sources—such as books, scholarly articles, news reports, or websites written by someone who did not experience the event or conduct the original research

thesis statement

a sentence that clearly expresses the main point or argument of an essay by stating both the topic and the writer’s specific perspective or claim, which the rest of the text supports with evidence and reasoning

tone

the writer’s attitude toward the subject or audience, shown through word choice and style, which can range from formal to informal, serious to playful, depending on the purpose and audience of the writing

topic sentence (key sentence)

a sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph and connects it to the overall argument or purpose of the writing, helping guide the reader and maintain a clear, logical flow